A Great Island Visit For Seniors

It seems like all of a sudden senior travelers have discovered Isla Mujeres, a tiny island off the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. It’s been there a long long time, as in March of the year 1517 when Francisco Hernandez Cordova discovered the island.

Today MSNBC invites travelers to move to islands and notes that Isla Mujeres, Spanish for Island of Women, is a laid back oasis. Isla, as the locals call it, blends the soul of Mexico with the beaches of the Caribbean and is a hammock-swinging lifestyle, peppered with Mayan legends.

I’ve been there with students and loved every moment on the island. Senior visitors will find the friendly atmosphere perfect for a relaxing vacation. Huffington Post called Isla a Tropical Paradise. I am sure that it has changed a lot since my visits a few years back, but it still remains so memorable.

 Small Fishing Village Still

Once a small fishing village, colorful Isla Mujeres with 65 hotels has become a favorite for senior travelers seeking natural beauty, island serenity, and a slower pace of life and all without compromising its cultural traditions.

One can easily walk from the east side of the island to the west, catching sunrise in the morning and later, watching the sun set as the local fishing boats return with their day’s catch. Senior visitors will find the typical items available for purchase (blankets, jewelry, stone carvings, masks, hats) all along main street.

Silver is the item to look for and good prices can be found. The majority of shops and restaurants accept the US dollar but may give you your change back in pesos. Like most everything in Mexico, you can usually bargain for a better price.

It’s small but seniors will find plenty to see and do on Isla: a stunning ocean full of colorful coral reefs, teeming with friendly tropical fish, a paradise for both snorkelers, which I did with my students, and scuba divers.  And senior birders, on Isla you can spot dozens of more than 150 species of birds. 

 Seniors Visit Underwater Museum

The Island was a Mayan sanctuary to goddess Ixchel for about a thousand years. Statues of women were discovered by the first Spanish visitors and this where the name “Island of Women” originated.

The National Park West Coast of Isla Mujeres, Punta Cancun and Punta Nizuc, which receives approximately 750,000 tourists annually, features more than 400 concrete sculpture figurines comprising the world’s largest underwater museum, right in the waters in front of Cancun and the island.

The 400 life-size sculptures are called La Evolución Silenciosa, The Silent Evolution. Senior divers and snorkelers will have the opportunity to admire the original sculptures in depths ranging from 9 to 20 feet.

I think that you will enjoy every day on Isla. I found it to be very special.  jeb